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AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) — On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation enhancing ballot security protocols for the in-person delivery of marked mail ballots for the Nov. 3 election.
Under the proclamation, which begins on Oct. 2, mail ballots that are delivered in person by voters who are eligible to vote by mail must be delivered to a single early voting clerk’s office location as publicly designated by a county’s early voting clerk.
The ballot will have to be delivered to the early voting clerk’s office location, which will be publicly designated by a county’s early voting clerk.
That location in Harris County will be at the NRG arena starting Friday. Ballots will be accepted in person through Gate 8 from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Voters must present ID and signature.
Texas Democrats were quick to lash out at the move, calling it a “blatant voter suppression tactic.”
The following statement can be attributed to Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins:
“The Governor’s previous proclamation gave voters more options to vote safely during the global pandemic and alleviated concerns over mail delivery to ensure that every vote is counted. I applauded that proclamation.
Going back on his word at this point harms voters and will result in widespread confusion and voter suppression. Many mail ballots have already been dropped off by voters across Harris County, and multiple drop-off locations have been advertised for weeks.
Our office is more than willing to accommodate poll watchers at mail ballot drop-off locations. But to force hundreds of thousands of seniors and voters with disabilities to use a single drop-off location in a county that stretches over nearly 2,000 square miles is prejudicial and dangerous.”
“Courts all over the country, including the Fifth Circuit yesterday, have held that it is too late to change election rules, but our failed Republican leadership will try anyway,” said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa in a statement.
The proclamation also requires early voting clerks to allow poll watchers to observe any activity conducted at the early voting clerk’s office location related to the in-person delivery of a marked mail ballot.
This proclamation amends a July 27 proclamation that extended the period in which marked mail-in ballots could be delivered in person.
“The State of Texas has a duty to voters to maintain the integrity of our elections,” said Abbott. “As we work to preserve Texans’ ability to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take extra care to strengthen ballot security protocols throughout the state. These enhanced security protocols will ensure greater transparency and will help stop attempts at illegal voting.”
Abbott’s order will have a significant effect on Texas’ most populous county – Harris County, which had set up 12 such offices around its more than 1700 square miles in order to make it more convenient for voters to return their mail-in ballots early and prevent overcrowding at locations.